Carton with integral reinforced handle

ABSTRACT

A one-piece paperboard carton structure having a reinforced carrying handle, the carton structure being particularly suited for packaging relatively large consumer sales units of bulk materials and having enclosing body walls and a multiple thickness carrying handle integrally connected to one of the body walls, with a plurality of the end closure flaps adjoining the handle acting to reinforce and strengthen the structure so as to resist peeling and tearing forces encountered when the filled carton is carried by its handle.

United States Patent Walters June 11, 1974 [54] CARTON WITH INTEGRALREINFORCED 2,923,455 2/1960 Tingley 229/52 B HANDLE 3,074,614 l/l963Mofi'at.... 229/52 B 3.133.689 5/1964 Rossi 229/17 R [75] Inventor: g klester alt 1d o n, 3,182,913 5/1965 Brian 229/52 B [73] Assignee: TheInterstate Folding Box 'l Exami' er winiam Price Company, MiddletownOhio Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attorney, Agent, or Firm-.lohn W.Melville; Albert E. Flledi J 1972 Strasser; Stanley H. Foster [21] Appl.No.: 264,934

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U 8 Cl 229/37 E 229/52 B A one-piece paperboardcarton structure having a re- [511 5/08 B65d 5/46 inforced carryinghandle, the carton structure being [58] Fieid 229/52 B R 37 Eparticularly suited for packaging relatively large consumer sales unitsof bulk materials and having enclosbody walls and a multiple thicknesscarrying han- [56] References Cited mg dle mtegrally connected to one ofthe body walls, with v UNITED STATES PATENTS a plurality of the endclosure flaps adjoining the han- 685,325 10/1901 Dye 229/37 R dl a tingtoreinfor e and strengthen the structure so 13231232 4/1917 as to resistpeeling and tearing forces encountered 1 238 53 when the filled'cartonis carried by its handle. 2,659,524 11/1953 Meslweeml 10 Claims, 12Drawing Figures SHEEI 10F 3 PATENTEUJUN 1 1 1914 PATENTEDJUN 1 I 1914We; e8)

SHEET 3 OF 3 CARTON WITH INTEGRAL REINFORCED HANDLE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to paperboard cartons, and hasto do more particularly with relatively large size cartons adapted tocontain a substantial quantity of contents. There are numerous consumerproducts, such as gross seed, laundry powders, dog food, and the like,-which are normally sold in relatively large sales units, ranging from topounds or even more. Such large sales units pose a packaging problem inthat the package should desirably be one which can be readily handledand carried by the purchaser. While many such products have beenpackaged in bags, the bags are not only difficult to handle butadditionally pose a problem to the store owner in stacking and display.

In recent years there has been a trend toward the use of large sizepaperboard cartons to package bulk products, the cartons being providedwith a carrying handle. Generally speaking, however, such earringhandles have been unsatisfactory and have also added materially to thecost of the carton. For example, a common form of handle in use todaycomprises a flexible paper or paperboard strap or bail, usuallystrengthened with strand reinforcement, which is adhered at its oppositeends to a boxboard insert which, in turn, is adhered to an underlyingclosure flapof the carton, with the insert and the overlying closureflaps slotted to permit the purchaser to raise the strap handle to ahand engaging position. Such handles require separate assembly, thestrap being first adhered to the insert, and the handle insert so formedfed into registry and attached to the carton blank as an incident of itsfolding and gluing. In addition to adding to the cost of the carton, thehandles are not wholly reliable and are subject to tearing and peeling,the utility of the handle being completely lost if either of its endsbecomes detached from the carton.

Other types of carrying handles have proven equally ineffective, such asplastic straps having tongues at their opposite ends engageable withcutouts in the carton end closure flaps, as well as various types ofwire bails having their ends configured to engage the cartons. Handlesof this nature, being detachable, are readily lost and also tend tointerfere with the stacking of the cartons one upon the other forstorage or display.

In contrast to the foregoing, the present invention contemplates acarton structure having an integral handle which projects from a sideedge of the carton end closure, the handle being adapted to lie flatagainst the carton when not in use and yet readily available when it isdesired to carry the carton.

RESUME OF THE INVENTION sure flaps and a pair of essentially half-widthinnermost closure flaps. Closure flaps are also provided at the upperends of the carton body walls, at least two of the top closure flapsbeing full-width flaps, with a third of the top closure flaps having anintegrally formed carry ing handle. The handle is ofdouble thickness andis arranged so that its bottom side edge lies alongand coincides withthe upper edge of one of the carton body walls, the arrangement beingsuch that the closure flap with which the handle is integrallyassociated comprises an innermost flap, the two full-width top closureflaps being adapted to overlie the handle carrying closure flap, thusserving to effectively anchor the handle in a manner to resist forcestending to tear or peel the handle when the filled carton is beingcarried.

The construction of the'carton is such that the structure may be readilyfabricated using conventional folding and gluing equipment which can bereadily moditied to accomplish the folding and gluing of the handleforming parts as the knocked-down carton structures are formed.Similarly, the cartons may be erected and their bottom end closure flapssealed in conventional fashion. Even the top closure may be sealed inessentially conventional fashion using sweeps and kickers tosequentially infold the various closure flaps and the handle.

Since the carrying handle extends along an uppermost side edge of thecarton, the handle may be readily folded into contact with theunderlying carton body wall during shipment and storage, and yet thehandle may be readily moved to the carrying position when it is desiredto carry the carton. When the carton is being carried, the handlepreferably will be disposed in a sidewise direction, i.e.; fromside-to-side rather than from front-to-rear, thereby placing a verticalside edge of the carton immediately adjacent the side of the personcarrying the carton. Since the carton is suspended from a handle whichextends along one of its upper side edges, the weight of the contentswill cause the carton to pivot so that it is tilted in a direction atright angles to the length of the handle, thereby effectively placingthe handle at or near the vertical center line of the tilted carton. Inother words, when the carton is in the tilted carrying position, itsweight load is effectively distributed on opposite sides of the handle,thereby minimizing the forces which would tend to tear or peel thehandle relative to the carton.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cut and scoredblank for forming a carton structure in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the carton blank of FIG. 1 in itsknocked-down flat-folded condition.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carton structure in erectedcondition with its bottom end closed and sealed and with a first of itstop closure flaps infolded.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 3 illustratingthe infolded position of the next to be infolded end closure flaps.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 4 with theinfolding of the top closure flaps completed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the carton structure in itscarrying position.

. 3- FIG. 7 is a plan view of a cut and scoredblank for forminga-modified carton structure in accordance with the invention. I v I FIG.8 is a plan view ofthe carton blank of FIG. 7 illustrating the initialfolding of the top closure flap incorporating the carrying handle.

. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the blank of FIG. 8 in the knocked-downflat-folded condition.

FIG.'10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the knocked-downcarton of FIG. 9 in erected condition with an opposing pair of the endclosure flaps in their infolded positions.

FIG. 11' is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the cartonstructure of FIG. in the fully assembled condition.

FIG. 12 is a perspectivefview illustrating the modifie carton structurein its carrying position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1 ofthe drawings, a cut and scored blank is provided which comprises bodywalls 1, 2, 3- and 4 in side-'by-side articulation in the order named,the body wall 4 having a longitudinal glue flap 5 extending along itsoutermost side edge. In this embodiment, the body wallsl through 4 arepreferably of I equal width so that the resultant carton is essentiallywall 2, thereby bringing the parts to the condition illustrated in FIG.2, with the free edge of body wall 1 overlying and adhesively secured tolongitudinal glue flap 5. FIG. 2 thus illustrates, the carton structurein its knocked-down flat-folded condition in which it is shipped to theuser for subsequent erection and filling.

In the hands of the 'u'ser,-the flat-folded blanks are squared-up ortubed, followed by the infolding and gluing of the end closures, whichmay be accomplished in indifferent order. In the case of the bottomclosure flaps 6 through 9, the flaps 7 and 9are first infolded,

. ermost portion of full-width closure flap 11 overlies body walls 1, 2and 3, respectively, there being a one-.

half width closure flap l3 hingedly articulated to the upper edge of theremaining body wall 4. A first handle part 14 is hingedlyfconnected tothe outermost edge of top closure flap l1, and a second handle part 15is hingedly connected to an end edge'of the handle part 14, the handlepart 15 lying-beyond but separated from top closure flap l0 ..ln theembodiment illustrated, a pair of U-shaped finger hole forming tabs' 16and 16a gerhole forming tabs 17 and 17a are formed in handle part 15. Aswill be evident, the carton blank, including the handle forming parts,utilizes only slightly more boxboard than does a conventional seal endcarton;

, parts together to form a double thickness handle. The

carton body wall 4, together with 'glue flap 5, will be infolded alongthe line of articulation connecting body wall 3 to adjoining body wall4, followed by the infolding of body wall 1 along its line ofarticulation to body are formed in handle part 14, and a mating pair offinand is preferably adhesively secured to the underlying closure flap13, the handle forming parts 14 and 15 projecting outwardly beyond theuppermost side edge of body wall 4. The remainingfull-width end closureflaps l0 and 12 are then infolded in indifferent order and adhesivelysecured to each other and to the underlying full-width closure flap 11,thereby completing the end closure and bringing the parts to thecondition illustrated in FIG. 5. v j

' As should now be evident, a carton structure is provided in which acarrying handle projects from the upper edge of one of the carton bodywalls, the handle in this embodiment being integrally connected to afullwidth end closure flap so that lifting forces exerted on the handlewill be transmitted across the top of the carton to the opposing bodywall 2. The overlying fullwidth closure flaps 10 and 12 act to reinforcethe handle mounting closure flap 11 and at the same time providereinforcement adjacent the handle acting to effectively transmit itslifting forces to the opposing body wallsl and 3, as well as to theunderlying body wall 4. This action should be readily apparent from FIG.6 which illustrates the carton structure in its carrying position. Asalso will be evident, the inclined or tilted position of the carton whenbeing carried effectively serves to distribute its weight load onopposite sides of the vertical plane of the handle, so that the liftingforce is distributed'to the various body walls of the carton; and at thesame time the disposition of the handle relative to the carton body,particularly the top closure, is such that the peeling or tearing forcesare minimized, as compared with a conventional carrying handle for acarton. wherein the peeling and tearing forces act at right angles tothe top and hence are more severe than where the included angle betweenthe plane of the handle and'the plane of the top is substantially inexcess of H Referring again to FIG. 4, it will be evident that theextending handle may be readily folded downwardly into contact with theadjoining body wall 4 during shipment, storage and display of thecartons; and if desired, oneor more spots of adhesive may be employed toreleasably tack the handle to the body wall.

FIG. 7 of the drawings illustrates a modification of the inventionwherein the handle forming parts are confined to a single closure flapoverlying one of the carton body walls. This arrangement is particularlysuited for cartons which are rectangular incrosssection and have anopposing pair of relatively large body walls, with the remaining pair ofopposing body walls of lesser width. Of course, if desired, the modifiedhandle construction may be employed in a carton which is square incrosssection. In the FIG. 7 embodiment, the carton blank has enclosingbody walls 21, 22,

23 and 24 in side-by-side articulation, the body walls 21 and 23 beingof equal width and relatively narrow as compared to the equal width bodywalls 22 and 24. A- longitudinal glue flap 25 is provided on the freeside edge of the body wall.24; and the lower edges of the body walls areprovided with bottom closure flaps 26, 27, 28 and 29, the flaps 27 and29 being full-width flaps, whereas the flaps 26 and 28 are of lesserwidth.

The top closure for the carton structure comprises a somewhat less thanfull-width top closure flap 30 connected to the upper edge of body wall21, a full-width closure flap 31 connected to body wall 22, a somewhatgreater than full-width handle forming and closure flap 32 connected tothe body wall 23, and a full-width closure flap 33 connected to the bodywall 24. Preferably, the width of flap 30 is decreased by the addedwidth of flap 32, so that the blanks may be nested without any waste ofboard.

The flap 32 is provided with spaced apart score lines 34 and 35 whichdefine equal width first and second handle parts 36 and 37,respectively, each of the handle parts being provided with a pluralityof U-shaped finger hole forming tabs, such as the sets of tabs 38 and39. A closure flap portion 40 lies beyond the handle part 37. In mostinstances, in order for the handle parts 36 and 37 to provide a handleof sufficient depth to be readily gripped, and at the same time toprovide a closure flap portion 40 of adequate width, the over-all widthof flap 32 will be somewhat greater than the width of the adjacentfull-width flaps 31 and 33, although it should be understood that thedimensions will vary depending upon the relative widths of the cartonbody walls.

In forming the knocked-down carton structure, the

flap 32 will be first infolded along score line 34, thereby juxtaposingthe first and second handle parts 36 and 37, with the interposition ofadhesive therebetween, thereby bringing the blank to the conditionillustrated in FIG. 8. Body wall 24 is then infolded along its line ofarticulation to body wall 23, followed by the infolding of body wall 21along its line of articulation to body wall 22, thereby juxtaposing thefree side edge of body wall 21 to the glue flap 25 to which it isadhesively secured, the parts thus assuming the knocked-down flat-foldedconditionillustrated in FIG. 9.

Upon erection of the carton body, the top closure is formed by infoldingend closure flap 30 and also outfolding the handle parts 36 and 37 whichcauses the closure flap 40 to assume an infolded condition with respectto the carton body walls, as will be evident from FIG. 10. Thereafter,the full-width closure flaps 31 and 33 are infolded in indifferent orderand adhesively secured to each other and to the underlying closure flaps30 and 40, thereby bringing the end closure to the condition illustratedin FIG. 11.

I trated in FIG. 12 and,as was the case with the embodiment of FIGS. 1through 6, when in its carrying position the carton is suspended fromthe handle in an inclined position, thereby effectively distributing theweight load to opposite sides of the plane of the handle and effectivelyreducing the peeling and tearing forces due to the angularly disposedrelation of the handle to the tilted or inclined top wall. Thus, thelifting .forces exerted by the handle are transmitted directly to theunderlying body wall 23, and through the overlying fullwidth closureflaps 31 and 33 to the remaining body walls.

As should now be apparent, the instant invention provides cartonstructures having integral carrying handles which require little if anyadditional boxboard than required for the carton itself, and which canbe readily fabricated as an incident of the folding and gluing of thecarton. The edge location of the handles, together with thereinforcement and support provided by the two full-width closure flapswhich overlie and support the closure flap to which the handle isconnected, act to strengthen and support the handle; and the location ofthe handle, which causes the carton to assume an inclined or tiltedposition when carried, effectively reduces the tearing and peelingforces generated when the filled carton is lifted by its handle.

Modifications may be made in the invention without departing from itsspirit and purpose, and various such modifications have already been setforth and others will undoubtedly occur to the skilled worker in the artupon the reading of this specification. Consequently, it is not intendedthat the invention be limited other than in the manner set forth in theclaims which follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive propertyorprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

I. In a one-piece paperboard carton structure having four enclosing bodywalls, end closures at the opposite ends of said body walls, and anintegral carrying handle extending along one side edge only of said topclosure, said top closure having an opposing pair of full-widthoutermost closure flaps hingedly connected to an opposing pair of saidenclosing body walls, said outermost closure flaps overlying the upperend of the carton body and being adhesively secured togetherin-face-toface relation, a third closure flap underlying and secured tosaid outermost closure flaps and integrally connected to one of theremaining carton body walls,

mating handle part integrally connected to said first handle part, saidhandle parts being folded and adhered together in face-to-face relation.to form a multiple thickness handle, said handle being positioned toproject outwardly beyond the uppermost edge of one v of said remainingcarton walls with its innermost end coinciding with the uppermost edgeof said last named remaining carton body wall, said handle being reinpair of full-width outermost closure flaps, whereby I when the filledcarton is lifted by its said handle, the carton body will pivot aboutsaid handle to an inclined position with the weight load substantiallyequally dis tributed on opposite sides of the handle and the liftingforces exerted by the handle effectively transmitted to each of thecarton body walls through the juxtaposed and sealed top closure flaps,saidopposing pair of fullwidth outermost closure flaps effectivelyresisting peeling and tearing forces exerted on, the handle by theweight of the filled carton when carried by its said handleQ 2. Thecarton structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said third closure flap is afull-width closure flap hingedly connected to the remaining carton bodywall opposite the body wall with which the innermost end of the handlecoincides.

3. The carton structure claimed in claim 2 wherein said mating handlepart is integrally connected to an end edge of said first handle part.

4. The carton structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said first handlepart is integrally connected to the uppermost edge of the carton bodywall with which the innermost end of said handle coincides, and whereinsaid mating handle part in hingedly connected to the top edge of saidfirst handle part.

5. The carton structure claimed in claim 4 wherein said third closureflap is hingedly connected to the opposite edge of said mating handlepart.

6. In a blank for forming a one-piece paperboard carton structure havinga single integral carrying handle extending along one side edge only ofthe carton top closure, the blank consisting essentially of a series offour body wall panels in side-by-side articulation, with end closureflaps at-the bottom ends of said body wall panels, a pair of full-widthtop closure flaps hingedly connected to the upper edges of the-first andthird of said body wall panels, a third flap hingedly connected to theupper edge .of the second of said body wall panels, said last named flapbeing cut and scored to .define a pair of integral mating handle formingparts adapted to be folded relative to each other and juxtaposed toprovide a single handle of double thickness, together with an integralclosure portion adapted .toextend at least partially across the upperend of the carton when the carton is erected, and a fourth end closureflap hingedly connected to the upper edge of said fourth carton bodywall.

7. The carton blank claimed in claim 6 wherein the closure portion ofsaid third flap comprises a full-width closure flap hingedly connecteddirectly to the upper edge of said second body wall panel, and whereinone of said handle forming parts is hingedly connected to the outermostedge of the full-width closure portion of said third flap.

8. The carton blank claimed in claim 7 wherein the other of said handleforming parts is hingedly connected to an end edge of said first namedhandle part and lies beyond the outermost edge of one of the adjoiningfull-width closure flaps.

9. The carton blank claimed in claim 6 wherein said handle forming partsare defined in said third flap immediately adjoining said second bodywall panel, and wherein the closure portion of said third flap liesoutwardly beyond said handle forming parts.

10. The carton blank claimed in claim 9 wherein the closure portion ofsaid third flap is a less than full-width closure flap.

1. In a one-piece paperboard carton structure having four enclosing bodywalls, end closures at the opposite ends of said body walls, and anintegral carrying handle extending along one side edge only of said topclosure, said top closure having an opposing pair of full-widthoutermost closure flaps hingedly connected to an opposing pair of saidenclosing body walls, said outermost closure flaps overlying the upperend of the carton body and being adhesively secured together inface-to-face relation, a third closure flap underlying and secured tosaid outermost closure flaps and integrally connected to one of theremaining carton body walls, a fourth closure flap integrally connectedto the other of the remaining carton body walls and also secured to saidoutermost closure flaps, a first handle forming part integrallyconnected to said third closure flap, and a mating handle partintegrally connected to said first handle part, said handle parts beingfolded and adhered together in face-to-face relation to form a multiplethickness handle, said handle being positioned to project outwardlybeyond the uppermost edge of one of said remaining carton walls with itsinnermost end coinciding with the uppermost edge of said last namedremaining carton body wall, said handle being reinforced and supportedthroughout its full length by the said third closure flap and by each ofthe said overlying pair of full-width outermost closure flaps, wherebywhen the filled carton is lifted by its said handle, the carton bodywill pivot about said handle to an inclined position with the weightload substantially equally distributed on opposite sides of the handleand the lifting forces exerted by the handle effectively transmitted toeach of the carton body walls through the juxtaposed and sealed topclosure flaps, said opposing pair of full-width outermost closure flapseffectively resisting peeling and tearing forces exerted on the handleby the weight of the filled carton when carried by its said handle. 2.The carton structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said third closure flapis a full-width closure flap hingedly connected to the remaining cartonbody wall opposite the body wall with which the innermost end of thehandle coincides.
 3. The carton structure claimed in claim 2 whereinsaid mating handle part is integrally connected to an end edge of saidfirst handle part.
 4. The carton structure claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid first handle part is integrally connected to the uppermost edge ofthe carton body wall with which the innermost end of said handlecoincides, and wherein said mating handle part in hingedly connected tothe top edge of said first handle part.
 5. The carton structure claimedin claim 4 wherein said third closure flap is hingedly connected to theopposite edge of said mating handle part.
 6. In a blank for forming aone-piece paperboard carton structure having a single integral carryinghandle extending along one side edge only of the carton top closure, theblank consisting essentially of a series of four body wall panels inside-by-side articulation, with end closure flaps at the bottom ends ofsaid body wall panels, a pair of full-width top closure flaps hingedlyconnected to the upper edges of the first and third of said body wallpanels, a third flap hingedly connected to the upper edge of the secondof said body wall panels, said last named flap being cut and scored todefine a pair of integral mating handle forming parts adapted to befolded relative to each other and juxtaposed to provide a single handleof double thickness, together with an integral closure portion adaptedto extend at least partially across the upper End of the carton when thecarton is erected, and a fourth end closure flap hingedly connected tothe upper edge of said fourth carton body wall.
 7. The carton blankclaimed in claim 6 wherein the closure portion of said third flapcomprises a full-width closure flap hingedly connected directly to theupper edge of said second body wall panel, and wherein one of saidhandle forming parts is hingedly connected to the outermost edge of thefull-width closure portion of said third flap.
 8. The carton blankclaimed in claim 7 wherein the other of said handle forming parts ishingedly connected to an end edge of said first named handle part andlies beyond the outermost edge of one of the adjoining full-widthclosure flaps.
 9. The carton blank claimed in claim 6 wherein saidhandle forming parts are defined in said third flap immediatelyadjoining said second body wall panel, and wherein the closure portionof said third flap lies outwardly beyond said handle forming parts. 10.The carton blank claimed in claim 9 wherein the closure portion of saidthird flap is a less than full-width closure flap.